Monday, September 28, 2009

There's nothing like race week. It seems no matter the shape I'm actually in, my mind takes over in the days before a big race and convinces me that I'm 100% ready to not only rock the race, but possibly set world records and get millions of dollars of non-existent prize money as well. I guess that's called positive thinking, I don't know...but it beats being nervous or doubtful in your abilities before a race, right? That said, I'll cut through my delusional thoughts to spell out the reality of this weekend's big race.

So here we are, just a few days before the NorthCoast 24 Hour run that serves as the National Championship this year. I couldn't possibly be happier that, even though I'm not in top shape, I will be starting a race 100% HEALTHY for the first time since last November. Even if I put up some less-than-stellar results, I'll be more than happy to just get the experience of another 24 Hour run under my belt. I'll also be encouraged, no matter the final distance covered, by the fact that I know I can get into much better shape (and therefore cover more miles) in my next attempt no matter what. Sure, I'd like to knock out the 135+ in this race, but it won't be the end of the world if I don't.

I should have a few things working in my favor for this second attempt at the 24 Hour event, even if my overall shape isn't as good as last year's debut. First off, the course won't have insane hills, which is nice. Second, while I do expect some pretty good wind to be coming off Lake Erie (and possibly precipitation), there's no way the weather gets as bad as UltraCentric in Texas last year (crazy wind during the day, sub freezing at night). ...and the last (and most important) change from last year will be my pacing plan. Simply put, I learned to run slowly this year. The injury/rehab I went through surely helped me develop that skill, and my 3 races last month proved to me that such a pace pays off in the long run (quite literally). Last year I wanted to stay in the top 3 right from the start, but this year I will literally be ecstatic if I'm in 10th place (or 20th!) after 50 miles. If that's the case it will mean I'm sticking to my plan. Patience will be the theme of the day for me, and my move will be made late.

As for the field, it is super-stacked: I'm pretty sure Akos Konya will win by knocking out 160 miles or so (although I believe he's the only runner in the field who is not a U.S. citizen, so he may not factor in the US Team selection). Current Team USA members Phil McCarthy, Bill Allen and Matt Chaffin will certainly be racking up the miles all day as well. Last year's National Champion Byron Lane will be back (and hopefully healed up from his fall at Viaduct), as will all-time stud John Geesler and the always insanely fast Serge Arbona (who very well might win the whole thing). Talk about some serious talent...and that's just the guys!

*This just in, Scott Jurek was just added to the roster as well. The stacked field just got even stackier. Looks like we have a new favorite to win!

**...and now David James has been added! I'm going to be dizzy watching these guys fly around me on the track!!

On the ladies' side, Connie Gardner will be going for the women's American Record of 145.28 miles, and considering she ran 145.26 miles two years ago at the National Championships, I'd say she's got some revenge on her mind! Team USA member Deb Horn and super fast Jill Perry will also be lining up looking to earn spots on the National Team for next May's World Championship in France as well.

Helping me try to keep up with those monsters of the sport all day will be my beautiful wife Elizabeth and brother in-law Jeff who is flying up from Texas to reprise his role as Best Crew Member Ever from last year. Even if my legs aren't in the best shape, my crew and pacing plan will help me wring the best possible result out of my body by 9 a.m. on Sunday. I'm ready to have some fun out there!!

A couple quick shouts-out here before I sign off: A big congrats to Nick Pedatella who finished 2nd overall in the Bear 100 miler out in Utah this past weekend. That followed up a 6th place finish at the Leadville 100 just last month...it's great to see his year rebound so nicely after injury forced him to drop at Massanutten back in May. Way to go, Nick! Also, a hearty Good Luck to Adam Cassaday in this weekend's Grindstone 100 in VA. He'll have his hands full trying to keep pace with Karl Meltzer out there, but if anyone is going to give Karl a run for his money, it's Adam. Go get him, buddy!!

With that, I'm off to make my final preparations and head out for my trip. Elizabeth and I will actually be making a detour road-trip before the race to swing by Charlottesville, VA and catch the U2 show on Thursday night. From there we'll head up to Cleveland on Friday and meet up with Jeff that night. The big race kicks off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and everyone can follow along w/ the live webcast here. It looks like it'll be updated every 30 mins or so, and they'll also have twitter and webcam updates all race as well. I'll call in after the race is over to add my 2 cents here on the blog as well.

OK, enough of the pre-race stuff...it's time to pull out the wheel blocks, rev up the engines, and prepare for lift-off!

18 comments:

This is it Dan--your time to shine! I will be following you guys closely all weekend! Go into this with your pacing plan and ignore everybody else. Remember it is a long race and is easy to get swept up in the moment. David suggests a soid taper and asome beer to get you through this week! Have fun Dan and go out there and do this!

Good luck Dan. My prediction is that you run 139 miles....it's all about mental toughness and you've got it bro!Look for my buddy Bill Potts at the U2 concert among the thousands. He'll be the other guy wearing an ultra shirt trying to cram in as much fun into a weekend as possible; he's running Grindstone as well on Friday.

Best of luck, Dan! I can hardly wait to read all about it. It pained me to scratch the race from my schedule, but at least I'll be able to experience it vicariously through your expert reporting skills!

Good luck Danno! If you create a black hole or a temporal vortex, I'll be very upset. I mean, it would be cool, but would also mean the end of the world.

A bit of advice:If your ipod micro mite breaks, just sing every Ramones song ever made. Or just make up new ones, like "Rock, Rock...Rock and Roll RaceTrack" or "Danno is...A Punk Runner". As they are all the same three chords and drum beats, your pacing will be set for the entire race.

It was so much fun to follow your progress along the way, Dan. Congratulations! What a thrill it must be to not only attain your goal of making the team, but also of turning in such a superb mileage total. You're simply amazing -- your race report will be a supreme treat to read, I'm sure!

Dan - I am just so proud and excited and beyond impressed!!! I can't stop thinking about how well you ran and how unbelievably strong your recovery has been from where you were 5.5 years ago. It's one of the best true stories I know.

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About Me

While undergoing chemo treatments in Boston in 2004, I knew if I was lucky enough to get healthy again, I needed to do my part to help inspire my friends who are/were/will be stuck in the hospital just like me.
I wanted to come back from treatments stronger than ever to prove cancer can actually be a blessing in many ways.
Thanks to an amazing network of friends and supporters, I have raised over $20,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston through my post-cancer running adventures. Even more important than the money will hopefully be the inspiration a few of my fellow patients will feel when they read about my adventures. As my new running plans and goals develop over the years, the #1 reason for every step I run remains the same: To inspire cancer patients everywhere to make two fists when they wake up every morning and keep fighting!